On Saturday I stuck my foot in my mouth big-time with a much-loved friend. I felt yucky for the rest of the day. Sunday morning I wrote an email asking for forgiveness.

Few things damage intimacy in relationships more than blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. My parents taught me better. They said, “Count to 10 before saying something bad.” Same applies for half-baked.

Turning to social media and the news, wouldn’t it be great if we could all count to 10 before injuring each other?

Some of the ways we’re wounding each other are going to take a long time to heal, if ever. Trust is easily lost, and ten times harder to regain.